This invention relates to data processing systems for automatically correcting and accounting for improperly applied postage in short paid mail. Short paid mail constitutes a major problem in postal delivery systems. Short paid mail is mail that does not have sufficient postage to cover the cost of shipping under current laws and regulations. This can be, for example, due to the fact that the mail was posted for presort discount and there were insufficient mail pieces in a particular zip to qualify. Alternatively the mail may have been posted for a weight limit discount, and may exceed the weight limit. Short paid mail is identified by the postal service as part of their acceptance procedure. However, the acceptance procedure varies from postal service to postal service and is extremely costly. For example there are mail pieces which are posted with 171/2 cents taking advantage of presort and truly should be posted at 25 cents. The cost to the postal service of getting the differential far exceeds the money actually recovered. The purpose for the collection activity, however, is to ensure that short paid mail does not become habitual on the part of the user.
Short paid mail i s corrected by either returning it to the sender where more postage is added or by sending it on to the recipient for payment by the recipient. Both arrangements are costly to the postal service and also are not very effective.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for correctly and automatically calculating the proper postage on a mailing based on appropriate guidelines, and certifying said mail piece as correct.
Methods and apparatus for centralizing the processing of accounting and payment functions on a transactional basis are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,761, issued Dec. 15, 1987 and assigned to the assignee of the present application describes such a system. In such systems, accounts are maintained by means of appropriate input information, such as a bill of lading or a manifest. Manifest systems are microcomputer based systems which input various pieces of information and from which ultimate rates may be posted in accordance with previously defined rate tables stored in data bases or the like. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,124, relates to shared service concepts wherein certain postal functions are performed by the user.